Since humans domesticated dogs about 10,000 years ago, and
cats about
8,000 years ago, the bond between humans and animals has been growing, with
powerful benefits for both. A well-cared-for animal can live more than a
decade longer than an animal who must fend for himself or herself. Studies have
shown that living with animals as companions provides us with a wide variety
of physical and emotional benefits.

Medical Benefits to Humans

Companion animals lower our blood pressure, triglyceride, cholesterol, and stress
levels. People with animal companions have fewer minor health problems, shorter
hospital stays, lower medical costs, better psychological well being, and higher
one-year survival rates following coronary heart disease. Coronary patients with
companion animals are four times less likely to die within the first year after
surgery than patients without them.

Psychological and Emotional Benefits

Animals are a source of pleasure, play, laughter, and conversation. They satisfy
our need to touch and be touched, and they provide nonjudgmental warmth and
affection. People who have dogs as companions walk twice as long and say their
dogs open up opportunities for social interaction. Women who live alone but
with a companion animal reported feeling significantly less lonely than those
without a companion animal. Terminally ill patients emphasize the importance of
their companion animals in helping them cope with their illness, providing
company, affection, and a reason to continue living. Companion animals also help
the elderly cope with the sense of isolation and the changes and transitions
that occur in later years.

Empathy, a key component of "emotional intelligence," has been shown to be more
important than IQ in determining a child's future success and happiness in
life. Children in whom love and respect for animals has been instilled have a
greater sense of empathy than children who grow up without animals in the home.

For children going through a difficult transition such as a divorce, a move, or
the terminal illness and death of a parent, companion animals offer an anchor of
unconditional love, comfort, and emotional support. Children find it easier to
confide in animals than in people, and caring for animals gives children a sense
of competence, the security of a routine, and the feeling of being needed at an
otherwise chaotic time.

Child psychologists point to the value of animals in helping abused children
open up and articulate their problems. When trust in adults has been broken,
children can sometimes feel safer opening up to an animal than to a person. Dr.
Barbara Boat, a speaker at CHAI's conference on the connection between violence
toward people and toward animals, presented the case of a five- or six-year-old
girl who had been severely abused, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The abuse included holding a knife in the child's hand and forcing her hand to
stab animals. The girl cared for animals and was deeply traumatized over the
suffering caused to them at her hand, but through the will of another. She was
only able to verbalize what was done to her by drawing a horse and describing
the abuse as if it had happened to the horse. Intentionally placed in a home
with a dog, the child was initially terrified she would hurt the animal and did
not want to be near him. The trust the dog showed her helped her rebuild her own
shattered trust in herself. For that child, the dog was her gateway back to
normalcy.

Psychologist James J. Lynch, PhD, says, "We don't have pets in our lives to be
nice. We have pets because we need them."

Stories abound of animals alerting people to danger and even risking their own
lives to save others. Jack is one of those brave animals. A member of New York City Engine Company 105,
Jack sat in
his customary place next to the driver of the fire truck, as it sped through the
city, sirens wailing. Suddenly, the driver noticed a three-year-old boy standing
in the middle of the street, too terrified to move. He slammed on the brakes and
with a great screaming sound, the huge truck began to slow. It had too much
momentum to stop quickly enough to avoid hitting the boy, however, and in
helpless horror, the driver watched as his truck plowed forward toward the boy.
Within seconds, he would be crushed. Instantly, Jack assessed the situation,
jumped out of the still-moving vehicle, raced in front of it, and leapt into the
path of the huge, onrushing fire truck, knocking the child clear. Boy and dog
rolled to the side by the curb as the truck swept passed, finally coming to a
full stop. Jack and the boy both missed being crushed by inches. The New York
Humane Society awarded Jack the Medal of Valor.

Our Responsibility to Animals

Without a doubt, companion animals improve our quality of life in many ways and
we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude. We can start to repay that debt by
taking responsibility for their present plight and doing our part to bring about
positive change. Humans domesticated animals thousands of years ago, allowed
them to breed, and then abandoned them. The consequence of our mistake is
tremendous suffering. See Preventing
Overpopulation to find out
what you can do to help.

As a responsible animal guardian, you want to take the best care of the animals
you share your life with. In this section, you will find information on
which animals make suitable companion animals and which are better left in the
wild, how to take proper care of your companion animal, why it is important to
alter them, and the symptoms and treatments for typical illnesses. You will also
find information on the potential dangers to them, including products and
plants, for example, plus where to report animal abuse, what to do if your
animal is lost, how to prepare for a disaster, and how to assess whether your local
animal shelter is doing the best for the animals. The more you
know, the better the care you can provide for your animals, and the longer and
happier the time you will have together.

Please note that we refer to humans as "guardians" of animals, not "owners," to
indicate that animals are not property.